Comedy in Much Ado about Nothing Essay

Comedy in Much Ado about Nothing Essay

1469 WordsDec 24th, 20136 Pages

Explore the importance of disguise and deception in Much Ado about Nothing. Are they merely effective plot devices?
Much Ado about Nothing was written by William Shakespeare in 1598, towards the middle of his career and during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Disguise and deception are used to great comic effect, as well as to drive the main and sub-plot forward. However, an attentive audience may notice how disguise and deception can also be seen to develop characters and relationships, and show some serious underlying concerns that Shakespeare may be trying to express.
An instance where disguise and deception are used to fuel the main plot is at the masked ball. The simple fact that everyone there is wearing masks, or ‘visors’…show more content…

It is ironic that earlier in the play Claudio gives an extravagant and poetic speech, speaking in iambic pentameter to show his high status and love interest. In response to this, Don Pedro promises he can ‘unclasp her heart’ for Claudio, and uses the pronoun ‘I’ throughout. It is therefore extremely ironic that he goes on to say ‘she shall be thine’ as a pose to ‘mine’ which just shows the deceptive nature of the wooing, for, if Claudio loved Hero as much as he claimed, he would surely do it himself. This also portrays a strong sense of elitism and male dominance, which may depict Shakespeare views on Elizabethan England, perhaps how disguise and deception actually played a large part in society at the time, although Shakespeare light-heartedly raises these issues through the genre of comedy.
Don John urges the main plot forward, and is responsible for creating the obstacle that Claudio and Hero need to overcome in order to be united. This obstacle and the marriage which promises new life are comedic conventions that depict the main plot, and enable Shakespeare to have a beginning, middle and end. The importance of the deception in this scene is by its position in relation to the play as a whole, as Act 3 was often the climax of a 5 act play, and the past events all seem to be leading up to this moment. The fact that Claudio and Hero’s relationship was

Much Ado About Nothing: A Comedy with Deep Meaning
Much Ado About Nothing--the title sounds, to a modern ear, offhand and self-effacing; we might expect the play that follows such a beginning to be a marvelous piece of fluff and not much more. However, the play and the title itself are weightier than they initially seem. Shakespeare used two other such titles--Twelfth Night, or What You Will and As You Like It--both of which send unexpected reverberations of meaning throughout their…

character from Much Ado About Nothing, is a perfect example of this quote. Throughout most of the play Claudio is only concerned about how other people and events affect him. However, the obstacles and positions he is put in do not help the situation. The one of the main themes of this play is deception, which Claudio, as well as most of the other characters in the play, fall victim. In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio begins the play with a tendency to be very gullible and paranoid about everything,…

Social Illusions in Much Ado About Nothing
In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare presents us with a romp through the realms of truth and illusion. The play is full of characters plotting and deceiving, for both noble and repugnant reasons. It is a study in the importance and necessity of illusion in our everyday lives, and shows how deeply ingrained deception is in our social behaviors.
Everybody is involved in some kind of illusion, from the masked celebration to the unveiling of…

The play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare consists of many themes which grow out of the game of love'. The two main themes consist of perception and deception. Through the plot complications, character development and dramatic techniques these themes can be explored. In the play deception is shown on both good and evil sides, the game of love between Beatrice and Benedick and the Don John plot to split up Hero and Claudio. Perception is a theme used in most of Shakespeare's plays.…

Much Ado About Nothing Act 1
1. In Act I, Beatrice and Benedick engage in a witty conversation, which Leonato describes as a playful battle: “There is a kind of / merry war betwixt Signor / Benedick and her. They never / meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them” (1.1.58-59). Beatrice insists that she does not like Benedick at all, and insults him relentlessly throughout Act I: “It is so indeed. He is no less than a stuffed man. But for the / stuffing—well, we are all mortal” (1.1.47-48)…

Much Ado About Nothing, is a comedic play by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career. (Wikipedia) This timeless play is generally considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, because it combines a cheerful mood with an intricate series of deceptions and miscommunications. It’s known for its hilarity, honor, shame and court politics. Shakespeare depicts different kinds of loving relationships- romantic love, family…

Much Ado About Nothing
In the Renaissance period, marriage was far different and much longer process than it is today. Particularly in the Elizabethan era, marriages were frequently arranged so that both families involved would benefit. Marriages would be arranged to bring prestige, honour and wealth to the family. For the upper class, marriage rarely involved love. Courting outside of one’s class was strictly forbidden and punishable by death in some circumstances. Marriage followed a strict…

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The play contains numerous examples of schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts of other characters; it is the major theme that resonates throughout the play. Ironically, it is one of these themes that bring serenity to the chaos that encompasses most of the play.
The first example of deception we see is with the characters of Beatrice and Benedick. These…

Much Ado About Nothing Analysis
Beginning in 15th century Messina in the aftermath of a war, the play opens with the army of Don Pedro of Aragon arriving in the country and being welcomed by Leonato, Messina’s governor. Count Claudio, hero of the war, falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero at first sight, and Don Pedro promises to woo Hero for Claudio. Don John, Don Pedro’s brother who is resentful of both Claudio and Don Pedro for defeating him in the just-ended war and himself being a bastard…

In William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing the evolution of love plays an important role throughout the course of the play. One interesting occurrence of love is the relationship between Benedict and Beatrice. At first, it appears these two witty characters utterly despise each other. As the plots unfold, their true feelings come out as well as the acceptance of the fact that they them selves are in love, but more importantly they do not allow their pride to guide them. As a…